In popular usage to this day, the letters SOS (no periods) are commonly believed to be an acronym for:

Save Our ShipSave Our SoulsSink Or Swim

These are termed 'backronyms,' as explained below, and came into popular use AFTER SOS went into effect. In actuality, and as originally intended when SOS was introduced in 1908, the letters have no meaning.

SOS is a Morse "procedural signal” or "prosign." As the SOS signal is a ‘prosign’, its respective letters have no inherent meaning per se. In the simplest terms, SOS is a ‘SIGNAL’ indicating distress and the need for help, and not an acronym or abbreviation.

After SOS was first used by the steamship Arapahoe in 1909 (not the Titanic in 1912 as many people believe), people applied their own meanings to the letters. The most popular ones: "save our ship" and "save our souls." These are correctly termed ‘bacronyms.’

‘SOS’ was chosen because the three dots, three dashes, three dots are easy to transmit and not easily confused with other letters by the sender or recipients. With the advent of radios on ships beginning in the 1920s, ‘Mayday’ became, and still is, the International Distress Signal, but SOS served its purpose, for a while.

FROM: THE DESK OF THE E-MAIL PROMOTIONSMANAGER INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT, MICROSOFT CORPORATION WORLD LOTTERY UNITED KINGDOM.61-70 SOUTHAMPTON ROW BLOOMSBURY LONDON UNITED KINGDOM WC1B 4AR.

MICROSOFT CO-OPERATION MANAGEMENT WORLDWIDEARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT YOU ARE A WINNER OF OUR ANNUAL MS-WORLD LOTTERY (MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO PROGRAMME) CONDUCTED ON:5 TH OF JANUARY 2010

YOUR PERSONAL E-MAIL ADDRESS OR COMPANY EMAIL WAS ATTACHED TOTHIS YEAR’S MSWLL. WITH SERIAL NUMBER 7741137002 DREW THE LUCKY NUMBERS 5-13-33-37-42, AND CONSEQUENTLY WON IN THE FIRST LOTTERY CATEGORY. YOU HAVE THEREFORE BEEN APPROVED FOR LUMP SUMS OF $ 1,000,000 (USD ONE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS) PAYABLE IN CASH CREDITED TO FILEREF NO: ILP/HW 875061725/07 THIS IS FROM TOTAL PRIZE MONEY OF $ 25,000,000 USD, SHARED AMONG THE TWENTY-FIVE (25) LUCKYINTERNATIONAL WINNERS IN FIRST AND SECOND CATEGORY.

ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE SELECTED FROM WORLDWIDE A COMPUTER BALLOTING SYSTEM THROUGH OUR MICROSOFT COMPUTER BALLOT SYSTEM DRAWN FROM 21,000 NAMES, 3,000 NAMES FROM EACH CONTINENT (CANADA, ASIA, AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATE, EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND OCEANIA, AS PART OF INTERNATIONAL "E-MAIL" PROMOTIONS PROGRAMME, WHICH IS CONDUCTED ANNUALLY FOR OUR PROMINENT MS -WORD USERS ALL OVER THE WORLD TO ENCOURAGE THE USE OF INTERNET AND COMPUTERS WORLDWIDE.

YOUR FUND (CERTIFIED CHEQUE) HAS BEEN INSURED WITH YOUR REF NO: ILP/HW-475061725/07AND WILL BE READY FOR TRANSFER AS SOON AS YOU CONTACT YOUR CLAIM AGENT DR SMITH WALKER . YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS SHOULD BE USED IN ALL CORRESPONDENCE WITH YOUR CLAIMS OFFICER, PLEASE NOTE THAT, YOU ARE TO CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS OFFICER VIA EMAIL OR TELEPHONE AS WE ARE PROMOTING THE USE OF E-MAIL. ALSO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL HIM TO CONFIRM YOUR WINNINGS AND GOVERNMENT TAX PAYMENT THAT IS ALL, AS HE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE NECESSARY DETAILS ON HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE. AS PART OF OUR SECURITY PROTOCOL YOU ARE TO QUOTE THIS SECURITY CODE MSW/MAY/XX07 TO YOUR CLAIMING AGENT. THIS IS TO PREVENT SCAM.

CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT OFFICER IN UNITED KINGDOM.

NAME: DR. SMITH WALKER

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NOTE: IN ORDER TO AVOID MISTAKES, PLEASE REMEMBER TO QUOTE YOUR REFERENCE AND BATCH NUMBERS AND YOUR SECURITY CODE OFMSW/MAY/XX07 IN ALL CORRESPONDENCES WITH YOUR CLAIMS OFFICER. DO NOT REPLY ANY OTHER MAILS LIKE THIS ON NET, AS THEY ARE A LOT OF SCAM ARTIST OUT THERE PRETENDING TO BE US.YOU MAYSEE MAILS LIKE THIS DO NOT REPLY. DO CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS OFFICER, DR. SMITH WALKER IN UNITED KINGDOM. YOU WILL BE ASKED TO PROVIDE SOME DETAILS AND AS WELL LET YOU KNOW THE COUNTRY OF YOUR PAYING CENTRE AND ALSO TO ENABLE THE OFFICE PROCEED WITH YOUR WINNING CERTIFICATE ANDFILE KEEPING.

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We know that a picture is worth a thousand words, but is a picture worth a stolen purse?

That's certainly the experience of the Myers family, who recently visited Madison, Wisconsin, to attend a wedding. The family shared a pretty remarkable tale with Gizmodo. The Myers clan posed for a picture outside of the Wisconsin State Capitol building at the same moment that someone decided to walk off with one of the family's bags. When the Myerses took a closer look at the photo their camera had snapped, they noticed that they had caught the robber in the act — a felonious photobomb, if you will. Take a closer look:

When I saw the guy with his hand in my bag, I ran back inside and found the Capitol Police. They were amazing. They immediately sent out a description of the thief using the photo I took. In a few minutes, one officer had found him still in the area. The thief had dumped some things from the bag in a nearby trash can — the flash for my camera, a small backpack of kids toys, a bag of cables, extra SD cards, my mini tripod — but still in my bag were my wallet with cash, credit cards, hotel keys, rental car keys, and my iPad.

The Police recovered everything and hauled the guy off to jail.

So there you go ... a happy ending, on the other side of a Kodak moment.

LONDON – For a few days, he was famous the world over — an Iraqi TV journalist who became an instant hero for millions when he hurled his shoes at President George W. Bush's head and called him a dog.

Little has been heard out of Muntadhar al-Zeidi since he left Iraq and started a charity in Switzerland last year. But his odd moment in the spotlight has, to the chagrin of world leaders and their bodyguards, left behind an enduring legacy.

Throwing shoes at the mighty has become a global phenomenon that shows no sign of fading away.

Since that infamous Baghdad press conference on Dec. 14, 2008, shoes have flown at the prime ministers of China and Turkey, the chief justice of Israel's Supreme Court, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, a Ukrainian politician who favored joining NATO, and a string of Indian politicians.

Just this month, shoes flew at Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and the top elected official in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Bits of video and pictures pop up daily by the dozens on the web, spread like lightning and fizzle out in hours. A few leap from the screen and into reality, mostly as drinking games or goofy poses to imitate for the camera and post online.

Rare are the memes â€” the bits of viral behavior â€” that truly take root in the real world. Throwing shoes at world leaders has joined the club. But what makes shoe-throwing more lasting than, say, the Old Spice Guy?

Throwing a shoe is pure slapstick — aggression and humor blended, violence in which no one really gets hurt. It's stronger than a sign, or shouted slogan, but short of actually harming a leader.

It breaks the wall between the audience and those on stage, disrupting reality with an exciting shock (at least for the viewer) — a little like those TV shows that secretly film pranks on unsuspecting people.

Al-Zeidi's shoes weren't the first to be thrown; the sole, unclean, represents a potent insult in much of the Arab and Muslim world. But al-Zeidi put a unique new stamp on shoe-throwing, a meaning that echoes whenever and wherever a piece of footwear is launched at someone important.

First, the flying shoe draws an instant parallel between its target and Bush, who remains deeply reviled in many countries.

Al-Zeidi himself is key, too. If he'd been Swedish he would have looked nutty. The fact that he was an Iraqi turning the tables on a man he blamed for destroying his country made his act political, a bit poetic — and contagious.

"My brother's act was a spontaneous act," al-Zeidi's brother Durgham told The Associated Press in Baghdad. "He never thought it would be imitated, but he supports it as long as it is directed against tyrants only."

In some cases, the imitation gets a little ridiculous.

The first al-Zeidi copycat was probably Stephen Millies, a New York City man grabbed by police when he tried to pull his shoe off and toss it at the head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Three days after al-Zeidi threw his footwear at Bush, Millies was protesting MTA budget cuts and a proposed subway fare hike, from $2 to $2.25.

"Because of the courageous act of the Iraqi patriot, I wanted to take advantage of that but also have a link to that," Millies, 56, told The Associated Press on Sunday.

The most recent shoe thrower to grab headlines was Abdul Ahad Jan, an off-duty police officer who hurled the footwear and a black flag at Indian Kashmir's Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a high-security gallery during an Indian independence day ceremony on Aug. 15. The predominantly Muslim region has been rocked by unrest aimed at Indian rule since June, and dozens of deaths from police shootings.

How to prevent shoe-throwing? Security officials can X-ray shoes to make sure they contain no bombs, but stripping people of their footwear before a rally or press conference still seems hard to imagine. That makes shoes virtually impossible to stop.

Just ask Muntadhar al-Zeidi himself. He held a press conference in Paris last year to discuss his experiences, which include being imprisoned for nine months and, he says, abused in retaliation.

As he spoke, al-Zeidi was targeted with a shoe by a man who appeared to be a fellow Iraqi. Al-Zeidi ducked, and the shoe hit the wall behind him.

"He stole my technique," al-Zeidi joked.

Al-Zeidi's brother, Maithan, chased the attacker and, as he left the room, hit him with a shoe.

Faced with dozens of different products promising to make your teeth fresher, whiter and cavity-free, it’s no wonder you wander aimlessly down the toothpaste aisle. To help you pick wisely, we turned to the pros for the scoop on what ingredients to look for, whether gel or paste formulas are right for you and just how much you need to squeeze onto your brush. It’s never too late to get your pearly whites in tip-top shape, so read on to find out how!

1. It’s all about the fluoride.With a host of ingredients in toothpaste, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s essential. But no matter what your individual needs are (i.e., tartar control, whitening, breath-freshening and so on), dental hygienists agree that fluoride is a must. According to the Academy of GeneralDentistry, brushing with fluoride toothpaste twice daily can reduce tooth decayby as much as 40 percent. “Even in areas where there is water fluoridation, the added fluoride in toothpaste has been shown to be very beneficial,” says Caryn Loftis-Solie, RDH, president of the American Dental Hygiene Association (ADHA).

2. Look for the seal of approval.While it’s tempting to save some cash with a generic brand of toothpaste, you may actually be getting an ineffective—and potentially harmful—product. “You should always look for the ADA Seal when choosing a toothpaste,” says Clifford Whall, PhD, director of the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance Program. “Only those products have the scientific data to back up their claims and have been proven to meet our criteria for safety and effectiveness.” With 50-plus approved toothpastes on shelves, it’s easy to find a tube that’s right for you and your budget.

3. Whitening toothpastes work—at least to a certain degree.Countless products promise a whiter smile, but do they really deliver? “Whitening toothpastes—like all toothpastes—contain mild abrasives to help remove surface stains on your teeth,” says Dr. Whall. “The shape of the particles used in whitening products, though, is modified to clean those stains away better, so you’ll see a noticeable difference in how your teeth look.” However, according to Dr. Whall, these products don’t contain bleach, making it impossible for them to brighten your smile as dramatically as professional whitening treatments.

4. Less is more.Despite what you see on commercials, a brush full of toothpaste won’t clean your pearly whites any better than half that amount, according to E. Jane Crocker, RHD, president of the Massachusetts Dental Hygienists’ Association. “All you need is a pea-size amount of toothpaste—yes, I mean the little green vegetable!” Not only will that get the job done effectively (by cleaning and removing plaque, stains and food debris), you’ll also extend the life of your tube.

5. How you brush is more important than what you brush with.You can buy the best toothpaste and toothbrush on the market, but if you aren’t brushing correctly you won’t see results. “To do it properly, you need to position the brush at a 45 degree angle so that you get some of the bristles in between the tooth and the gums,” says Dr. Whall. “Move the brush in small circles in those areas, and then continue on to the rest of the teeth. This process should take about one to two minutes to complete.” View the ADA’s step-by-step guide to brushing and flossing here.

6. Organic toothpastes can be just as effective as regular.If you’re willing to spend a little more to go green, natural and organic toothpastes can be a good eco-friendly alternative to commercial brands—provided they contain fluoride. “Natural and organic toothpastes that include fluoride in their ingredients are as effective as regular toothpastes with fluoride,” says Crocker. You’ll also be avoiding artificial preservatives, sweeteners and dyes.

7. What’s inside your toothpaste might surprise you.You may not recognize the names listed on the side of the tube, but ingredients like seaweed and detergent can be found in many fluoride toothpastes. According to the ADA, common thickening agents include seaweed colloids, mineral colloids and natural gums. And for that quintessential foaming action, most products rely on detergents such as sodium lauryl sulfate—also found in many shampoos and body washes—that are deemed 100 percent safe and effective by the ADA.

8. Pastes or gels—they all do the trick.You may have heard that one works better than the other but, according to the experts, they all clean teeth equally well. “Other than flavor, texture and how it makes a person feel, there aren’t any major differences among the various forms,” says Crocker. “I think it comes down to personal preference, which might come through trial and error. I encourage my patients to use whichever product encourages them to brush.”

Nineteen eighty-three was the first year of our annual 10Best competition, in which we test the coming year’s newest metal to find the top 10 cars in the U.S. Every year, we drive thousands of miles, slurp gallons of coffee, munch hundreds of doughnuts, and get tangled in some raging arguments, all in the name of crafting another 10Best list.

Like any competition, there are rules. A changing price cap based on vehicle transaction price is the only variation each year. If a car wins the previous year, it is invited back, but all other competitors must be new or significantly altered for the coming model year. Our three main questions are: How well does a car perform its intended purpose? Is it a highly engaging, fun-to-drive vehicle within its category? And what kind of value does it represent?

We’ve compiled another 10Best list to mark the end of the decade, this time running down the cars that dominated our competition over the past 10 years. For all you Car and Driver historians out there, note that we had a five-way tie for the ninth and tenth spots, and a recount—hanging chads were detected—determined what made the cut and what didn’t among our 10Best Cars of the Decade.

BMW 3-series: 10 10Best Appearances

Ten, count ’em, ten consecutive titles from 2000 through 2009 (with another nine in a row before that). Simply slide behind the wheel of one, and you’ll understand why the 3-series is considered the benchmark entry-luxury sports coupe, sedan, wagon, and convertible.

Honda Accord: 10 10Best Appearances

2009 Honda Accord Sedan

Also winning 10 trophies over the past decade—among a noteworthy 24 total honors—the Honda Accord continues its reign over the family-sedan class, offering the best complete package and fun-to-drive zeal.

What We Said:

“By delivering so much more than anyone expects, the Accord has become a perennial bestseller, as well as a 10Best fixture.” —January 2001

“It’s equally clear that the Accord has evolved steadily to maintain its position as a mainstream pacesetter.” —January 2009

“But if you want comfort, convenience, and uncanny competence in one handsome package, the Vette is in a class by itself.” —January 2003

“This combination of heritage and sophistication gives the Corvette a uniquely American blend of performance, swagger, and everyday livability—characteristics that are all amplified in the 505-hp Z06 version.” —January 2007

Porsche Boxster and Cayman: 8 10Best Appearances

2009 Porsche Cayman

When yet another “entry level” Porsche arrived in the late ’90s, many expected it to fail like the earlier 914 and 924. As it turns out, the brilliance of the mid-engined Boxster—and, later, the fixed-roof Cayman—would bring the existence of the mighty 911 into question. Eight 10Best appearances (the past three shared with the Cayman) in the past 10 years have sent the naysayers packing.

What We Said:

“That appeal begins with its chassis, which delivers an intoxicating blend of agility and stability.” —January 2002

“This is the essence of the car-and-driver connection, and few sports cars do it better.” —January 2009

Ford Focus: 5 10Best Appearances

2001 Ford Focus

You’re probably as surprised as we are to find theFocus on this list, with five titles. But remember that, when the car debuted a decade ago, it was a fresh global product with class-leading styling and a frisky chassis. The Focus was one of the first small cars to show that economy didn’t have to mean sacrifice. Sadly, the Focus went 11 years without a thorough mechanical overhaul, allowing it to slide to the bottom of the class by the end of the decade. The all-new 2011 model can't come soon enough.

What We Said:

“As a result, the Focus proves that a limited budget need not preclude driving quality and enjoyment.” —January 2000

“Unlike most other compacts, however, the Focus also delivers a generous measure of driving fun, thanks to an exceptionally sturdy chassis.” —January 2003

Mazda MX-5 Miata: 5 10Best Appearances

2009 Mazda Miata MX-5

Prizing simplicity and lightness above all else,Mazda drew on the principles of old British sports cars to reinvent the affordable (and reliable) roadster. The result: a cult following all over the world and five 10Best wins during the 2000s. Unchallenged until the Pontiac Solstice came along in the middle of the decade, the Miata still came out aces.

What We Said:

“For those who find rapture in the act of driving, nothing satisfies like a small, light car with instantaneous reflexes, and the fun is multiplied in a roadster.” —January 2001

“It all makes for an immensely satisfying drive and proves that a car doesn’t need pavement-wrinkling horsepower to deliver driving enjoyment.” —January 2008

Honda S2000: 4 10Best Appearances

2008 Honda s2000

Honda’s sports car is now just a memory, but the joy and capability baked into this high-revving roadster keep the S2000 among our all-time favorites. Four 10Best titles say that Honda definitely got it right, but we have to wonder: Was this Big H’s last hard-core car?

What We Said:

“Turn the car loose on a racetrack, and you quickly find an outstanding chassis with tremendous grip, excellent balance, and racy-quick steering.” —January 2000

Infiniti G: 4 10Best Appearances

2009 Infiniti G37

“Infiniti has long been chasing the BMW 3-serieswith its line of G coupes and sedans. Despite never quite hitting the target, the G makes up for what little ground it gives in value. With an extremely sporty demeanor, an athletic chassis, and competitive powertrains, all at a price thousands less than an equivalent Bimmer, the G has earned recognition four times.

What We Said:

“Infiniti trumps BMW in the sedan's interior and trunk space, and both G35s undercut their similarly performing BMW 330 competitors by $4000 to $5000—call that the prestige discount.” —January 2004

“The chassis engineers have maintained the G’s agile handling while simultaneously taking the hard edge off the ride quality, a particularly welcome improvement in the firmer Sport edition.” —January 2009

BMW 5-series: 3 10Best Appearances

BMW E39-5 Series

Although the most recent E60 5-series failed to win us over with its overwrought exterior styling and cold interior design, its E39 predecessor remains ensconced among our favorite cars, racking up three 10Best awards at the beginning of the decade. Here’s hoping the all-new 2011 5-series can rekindle the love inspired by that nearly perfect sedan.

What We Said:

“Most important is the superb chassis that not only delivers what many of us regard as the world's finest ride but also provides grip and precision that even sports-car aficionados find satisfying.” —January 2000

“That's why it's always such a pleasant surprise when we strap into a BMW 5-series sedan and reacquaint ourselves with its uncanny ability to transform our wishes into fluid motion.” –—January 2001

Honda Fit: 3 10Best Appearances

2009 Honda Fit Sport

The Fit’s entry into the U.S. was brilliantly timed by Honda, as the little runabout appeared just as rising fuel prices had us questioning our gas-guzzling way of life. The fun-to-drive spirit, versatility, and extreme value of the Fit have earned it a place in our hearts and three elections to the 10Best pantheon.

What We Said:

“Not only is it endowed with an impressive array of standard features and an upscale interior, but its dynamics rival the responses of cars with much fancier pedigrees and price tags.” —January 2007

“If there’s a better combination of thrift, practicality, and fun-to-drive, we haven’t seen it yet.” —January 2009